Will E

The 86s fit perfectly around a Nalgene bottle, if that makes a difference. They also nest inside each other, but with the spikes facing the same direction, and one rotated 90 degrees. The product photo shows two lateral holes, and the description explains these are so you can tie them onto your boot in some kind of emergency. If this is a big selling point for someone, it's worth noting that my 86s only had one hole, and regardless, that a slot to thread a ski strap through would be way more secure. I'd cal...

Yes, flat mode is flat and doesn't interfere with the boot, at least for me! Plus, you can turn the heel piece around with a ski pole to use the heel riser side.

Will update this review when I've got a hundred miles on them. Prior to mounting these, I was apprehensive about flat mode, stepping in, and the ease of switching between flat and heel lifters while skinning; I'd seen some people say you would have to bend over and turn the heel piece by hand, for instance, and there's a prominent review site out there stating that your boot would hit the heel piece in flat mode. However, so far I've had none of those issues. Flat more is truly flat, and to switch to the he...

This is an axe for using. The adze is a serious big scoop for moving snow and ice fast (eg rappelling off a bollard) and plenty wide and contoured for self-belay grip with big summit mitts. It’s comfortable bare handed as well. The pick is long with enough teeth and taper to bite into ice without being so aggressive as to undermine self arrest. I put a slider pinky rest on mine for steeps, which slides freely on the shaft for plunging but comes to rest on the spike rivet for swinging and pulling. Overall I ...